Immediate safety in a shared home
Emergency Orders can be filed and issued the same day, granting exclusive possession of the residence and prohibition of contact. Christine files quickly when the facts require it.
05Practice Area · St. Charles, IL
An order-of-protection attorney who moves quickly in Kane County.
When safety is on the line, the pace of the response matters as much as the substance. Christine Marshall represents St. Charles petitioners and respondents in Illinois orders of protection — from same-day emergency filings through plenary hearings.
The Law Office of Christine Marshall handles Emergency, Interim, and Plenary Orders of Protection under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, civil no-contact orders, stalking no-contact orders, and modifications and extensions of existing orders. Matters are filed in the Kane County Judicial Center in the 16th Judicial Circuit.
For petitioners, the objective is protection that actually protects — stay-away distances that account for shared workplaces and children's schools, temporary custody terms that keep exchanges safe, and enforcement that makes the order more than paper.
For respondents, the objective is a fair hearing on the actual facts. Plenary Orders carry serious collateral consequences — employment, firearm rights, custody — and defending against overreach is legitimate legal work.
Situations We Handle
The problems clients bring us — and what we do about them.
Abuse tied to a pending divorce or custody case
Orders of Protection often run parallel to a dissolution. Christine coordinates the two cases so protective terms and long-term parenting time do not contradict each other.
A false or exaggerated petition filed against you
Not every petition reflects reality. Christine represents respondents at the plenary hearing, cross-examining the petitioner's evidence and presenting the respondent's own.
Stalking or harassment by someone you never dated
Illinois Stalking No Contact Orders cover situations that fall outside the Domestic Violence Act — an obsessive ex-friend, a coworker, a neighbor. Christine handles these matters as well.
Violations of an existing order
Violations are criminal offenses and grounds for contempt in the civil case. Christine pursues enforcement so an order does not lose its teeth.
An order that needs to be extended or modified
Plenary Orders can be extended before they expire and modified for changed circumstances. Christine handles both — for petitioners and respondents.
Free Consultation
Talk with Christine before you decide anything.
A short call is often enough to clarify your options, timing, and what a fair resolution looks like.
How Christine Works
A composed, protective process.
Four decades of family law practice, distilled into a process built for the pace of real families in Kane County.
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A confidential, fast first call
Christine returns calls on domestic-abuse matters quickly. If an emergency petition is warranted, she says so and moves.
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Emergency filing when the facts require it
Verified petition, sworn statement, requested relief tailored to the specific facts — filed in the Kane County Judicial Center the same day where possible.
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A prepared, thorough plenary hearing
Witnesses, records, photographs, medical documentation, prior communications — assembled and presented so the court has what it needs to decide.
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Enforcement and coordination afterward
Coordination with law enforcement, follow-up on violations, coordination with parallel custody and dissolution proceedings.
What You Gain
Outcomes clients ask for — and get.
- Same-day emergency filings when safety requires it
- Experienced representation at the full plenary hearing
- Balanced defense of respondents facing overreach
- Coordination with parallel divorce and custody matters
- Aggressive enforcement of violated orders
- Renewals and modifications handled as needed
Orders of Protection for St. Charles residents are filed and heard at the Kane County Judicial Center in the 16th Judicial Circuit. Christine represents petitioners and respondents from St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, South Elgin, Wayne, Campton Hills, Elburn and the surrounding Fox River Valley — and coordinates with local law enforcement, shelters, and the family court when related dissolution or parenting cases are also pending.
St. CharlesGenevaBataviaSouth ElginWayneCampton HillsElburn
Frequently Asked
Answers to the questions we hear most.
An Order of Protection is a civil court order issued under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act that restricts an abuser's contact with the victim, restricts entry to the shared home, addresses temporary custody and support, and can order the abuser to stay away from the victim's workplace, children's schools, and other specified locations.
An Emergency Order is issued the same day the petition is filed, without notice to the respondent, and lasts up to 21 days. An Interim Order can extend protection while the case proceeds. A Plenary Order is entered after a full hearing with both sides and lasts up to two years, with the possibility of renewal.
No — you can file pro se — but representation significantly improves the chances of a favorable Plenary Order and protects your interests at the full hearing, where the other side often has counsel. Christine has represented petitioners and respondents in Kane County Orders of Protection for decades.
Prohibition of abuse and contact, grant of exclusive possession of the residence, temporary allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, requirement to attend counseling, prohibition on firearm possession, and specific stay-away distances from the victim, home, workplace, and children's schools.
Christine represents respondents facing Orders of Protection — including matters where the allegations are exaggerated or fabricated to gain leverage in a divorce or custody dispute. A Plenary Order has serious collateral consequences for employment, firearm rights, and custody; defending it properly matters.
Yes. The court can include children in the order, allocate temporary parenting time, and require exchanges to occur in supervised or public settings. Long-term parenting time is typically addressed in a parallel dissolution or parentage case.
Violation of an Order of Protection is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for subsequent violations. Contempt petitions can also be filed in the civil case. Enforcement is aggressive when it needs to be.
Yes. A Plenary Order can be extended by petition before it expires, and its terms can be modified for changed circumstances. Christine handles both extension and modification proceedings.
Related Practice Areas
Speak With Christine →Christine also handles
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Divorce & Maintenance
Contested and uncontested dissolutions, annulments, and post-decree relief.
Read More → - 02
Family Law
Steady counsel across every stage of a family's legal life.
Read More → - 03
Custody, Support & Paternity
Parenting time, allocation of parental responsibilities, support, and paternity.
Read More → - 04
Guardianship & Grandparents' Rights
Protecting minors, disabled adults, and the standing of grandparents in Kane County.
Read More → - 06
Prenuptial Agreements
Clear, enforceable prenuptial and postnuptial agreements drafted with care.
Read More →
Ready when you are
Call (815) 666-4873 — speak with Christine directly.
Consultations are free and confidential. Evenings and weekends available for urgent matters.